Winter is Coming…

Happy Tuesday from a chilly day down under! Well, then again, chilly for us is anything below 60°F/15°C (we’re not exactly ‘winter’ people), but I will admit: I do have a thing for autumn. There is something so beautiful in seeing the leaves changing colors, being able to wear boots again, layering up and my personal favorite: SCARVES! I just love scarves. I’ll even wear them during the summer, ha!

When we first arrived here in July, it was the middle of winter, which was quite an adjustment as we had just left sweltering hot weather back in the U.S. Once we started rolling into spring here in Melbourne, it was turning into autumn in the U.S., and I started to go through a weird case of FOMO (fear of missing out)! Seeing everyone with their pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pies… I mean, that’s what autumn is all about, right?! Haha. Just kidding. But I did long for those days walking through leaves, breaking out the hats and scarves after a humid summer and curling up on the couch with some hot chocolate or tea! Now that fall is almost over (winter officially starts here on June 1st), I feel a bit delayed on sharing it with you, but better late than never, right?

We were told in the months prior that fall is just beautiful here in Melbourne, and that is definitely an understatement. This city is abundant with plants and trees – we have about four different parks within walking distance (or at the very least, tram distance) from our apartment (can’t wait to share those with you soon!) – and it just adds to the beauty of the season. The street we live on is also lined with huge trees, and we have one right outside our window. It’s been fascinating to watch the leaves change gradually over the past few months. When we first moved in in August, the tree was completely bare, and then buds started to appear, which bloomed into a lush green tree, and in March, it started to slowly change to orange/brown/yellow. As I write this, I’m glancing out at the tree and it has almost no more leaves left :(

Will and I love the tree-lined streets here, especially those with an overhang (swooooon), and I can’t help but snap photos whenever we happen upon them! On Saturday morning, we grabbed some coffee at City Square and as he was ordering our drinks, I just sat and stared at the trees and the contrast of their colors against the building. It was such a beautiful sight – check out the photos I snapped!

Okay, I’ll stop sounding like some tree-obsessed lunatic (they really are gorgeous though, right?!) and talk more about the weather! I’ve shared with you all before about the ‘four seasons in one day’ phenomenon here in Melbourne, and it definitely doesn’t stop when it gets colder. I’ve actually found that it becomes increasingly spastic during the colder months, but I’m so used to it by now that I just attribute it to part of its charm :) (as long as you remember to always carry around an umbrella, you’ll be a-okay!) I should preface this all by saying that although I consider anything in the 50s and below as cold, I can still tolerate weather as cold as 15°F – 20°F (-9°C)…especially if it’s snowing – I love snow, go figure!. So, when you compare it to weather in the Northern Hemisphere, it really doesn’t get ‘cold’ by a northerner’s standards, but it does still get quite chilly. Since summer ended, it’s definitely dropped out of the 70s (~20°C), but stays consistent around 50°F – 60°F, which although is cooler, I find rather impressive for having winter right around the corner (*cue Ned Stark’s voice*). From what I remember, winter isn’t too bad here either – there is quite a bit of rain/thunderstorms/wind (and the rare bout of hail!), but it never dips below freezing, thankfully! Overall, I’d say that despite the rainy days here in autumn, for the most part, it’s really quite pleasant. As long as you have an extra sweater with you, a scarf, beanie, socks and umbrella, you’ll be super prepared for any random downpours or cold gusts of wind!

I’ll be honest, it’s a bit strange tuning my brain to identify May = autumn, because this month (and September) is actually my favorite time out of the entire year for weather in the Northern Hemisphere. It always hovers around that 70°F – 80°F mark, and is sunny/heavenly! It was also strange for me to crave pumpkin-everything + roasts back in November when it was so hot out here, so I’m getting there haha. Speaking of, I will definitely be baking up some pumpkin/other autumnal goodies in the next month or so now that all the gourds are back in season and I’ve found a secret supplier for pumpkin puree here in the city (*does happy dance*)!

Autumn also has a special place in our hearts because we were married on the autumnal equinox in 2013 (September 22nd)! It’s just a beautiful and fun time of the year, and although winter isn’t our favorite, we’re still going to make the best of it. There is so much to do here even in the colder months (look out for a winter guide coming soon!), and I’m particularly excited for the Winter Night Market at Queen Victoria Market (check out our post here on the Summer Night Market back in January!), as well as the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Oz Comic-Con and several shows in town like The Lion King and Dirty Dancing.

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about us

hi! we are the Herrings – Will & Kelly. together for 8 years, married for 2, and loving every moment of this new adventure together.

melbourne, australia

Melbourne is located in the state of Victoria in Australia. voted five years in a row as a the 'most livable city in the world', it boasts a diverse, urban and laidback lifestyle. it offers the finest in arts, culture, sports, outdoor activities, food and more! it's now called 'home' by us, and we love it so!